By Shimels Hussien (PhD)
In Ethiopian politics, irony is a constant presence. Take the TPLF-led EPRDF party, for example. Many believe the EPRDF was just a cover for TPLF’s control, so I’ll refer to it simply as TPLF. The TPLF’s logo was a bee, representing unity, cleanliness, and hard work. But instead of uniting people, the TPLF divided the country along tribal lines. Even those who dislike the current Prosperity Party (PP) government must admit that PP inherited a country already split by TPLF’s shortsighted and foolish policies. Mending a divided nation is no easy task.
Election logos of TPLF and PP
The TPLF didn’t just divide; they created ethnic conflicts and hate bombs everywhere. TPLF childish, short-sighted and foolish adventures never helped even to the very Tigray people from which they originated. The TPLF’s actions were indeed corrupt and dirty. Compared to the previous regime (the Derge), the TPLF was a gang of thieves and corrupt officials. Their human rights abuses, including torture and cruel practices, were terrible. Their actions resembled those of a fly, which thrives in filth, rather than a clean and hardworking bee. By choosing the bee as their symbol, the TPLF tarnished the bee’s good name.
The Prosperity Party, which came to power after the TPLF, also presents a stark contrast between its name and its actions. The name “Prosperity Party” suggests growth and wealth. However, like the TPLF’s EPRDF, many doubt if the Prosperity Party is a real political group or just a front for one person’s rule. Regardless, this party, named after the appealing idea of prosperity, does the opposite of what its name suggests. Their time in power has been marked by war, ignorance, bullshiting, high inflation, a high cost of living, and rising poverty. Since the Prosperity Party took charge, Ethiopia’s performance in almost all internationally recognized development indicators has dropped [1, 2]. Key indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Per Capita, Human Development Index (HDI), Gini Coefficient, Poverty Rate, Employment Rate, Life Expectancy, Infant Mortality Rate, Literacy Rate, Access to Clean Water and Sanitation, Global Peace Index (GPI), Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Quality of Life Index, and Happiness Level all show a worsening situation. Despite the party’s big claims and projects like parks and palaces, Ethiopia has been falling behind in all these areas. True prosperity is not measured by shinny, shallow and superficial things like parks and palaces. Building big, fancy, and numerous palaces does not count as prosperity. Having a big palace is not a measure of a country’s power or prosperity. The most powerful country (USA) runs from an ordinary house. There is no international tool that says parks and palaces indicate prosperity.
The TPLF’s use of the bee as their symbol is particularly ironic. Bees are known for their hard work, cooperation, and cleanliness. They work together efficiently for the benefit of their hive. In contrast, the TPLF’s actions were more like those of a fly, which thrives in dirty environments. The TPLF’s corruption and human rights abuses were the antithesis of the qualities represented by a bee. By choosing the bee as their symbol, the TPLF did a great disservice to this noble insect.
Similarly, the Prosperity Party’s name is misleading. The name suggests that the party would bring growth and wealth to Ethiopia. However, their time in power has been marked by economic decline and hardship. The Prosperity Party should be called the “Impoverishing Party” because their actions have brought more poverty and suffering to the people of Ethiopia. Here, I’m referring to the more than 90% Ethiopians, to the majority people, not to the few over-night billionaires, scam prophets and elites. Of course, statistics is about the majority, no the extreme few. Statistical principles advise removing extreme values before doing serious scientific analyses because they distort real pictures.
The logos of these parties remind us of their failures, showing a clear difference between their promises and their actions. The TPLF’s bee and the Prosperity Party’s name are symbols of what these parties claimed to stand for but failed to deliver. The TPLF divided the country and engaged in corruption and human rights abuses. The Prosperity Party has overseen a period of economic decline and hardship.
Sorry for the bee and the concept of prosperity, whose names have been abused and tarnished by these parties. The bee, a symbol of hard work, unity, and cleanliness, has been associated with a dirty, tribalist and divisive party. The concept of prosperity, which suggests growth and wealth, has been associated with a party that has brought more poverty and suffering to Ethiopians.
We wish that one day, in the future, parties will come to power that will work as hard, clean, and united as a bee and genuinely aim to lift the poor and improve their living standards. Ethiopia deserves leaders who will work for the benefit of all its people, just like bees work for the benefit of their hive. True prosperity will come when leaders focus on improving the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable members of society. Until then, we must remember the lessons taught by the TPLF and the Prosperity Party that parties often use nice names and logos only to fool people, only to cheat us.
References
- Gupta, A., & Sharma, K. (2020, July). Ranking of countries using world development indicators: a computational approach.
- Joshanloo, M., Jovanović, V., & Taylor, T. (2019). A multidimensional understanding of prosperity and well-being at country level: Data-driven explorations
Dr. Shimels Hussien is a Researcher and Ass. Professor of Public Health at St. Paul Hospital’s Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa. He can be reached at: shimelsh@gmail.com
Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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